Sorry about the last post with no words at all.  I didn't have time to write, but the picture was available, so I thought I'd just pop it in there and add something later.  So. . . anyway, those are the Christmas stockings I made for my daughter's family.  They are specific for each member of her family, the crazy quilted one is for her, the one with the hand-dyed fabric (dyed by me, myself, and I) is for Seth, the green, blue and white one is for Elijah (big brother), and the primary colored one is for Baby Ethan.  I am sending them out today, so I wanted to post a picture so I can remember them--and I have proof that I've made her something recently. 

And these are my gorgeous worms that live in my classroom.  I have ALWAYS been a little squeamish about worms, but these guys don't bother me a bit.  I kind of like (okay, I LOVE) them.  I think because they are doing such a good job for us and our garden.  I like that they eat our leftovers and their castings (my class prefers poop) make wonderful compost for the garden.  Aren't they cute?

While I'm talking about my classroom, I am going to also add a picture of the igloo that I built this year, which is FAR SUPERIOR to last year's.  All done with recycled milk jugs and a crap-ton of hot glue.  Built on a cardboard base, for any of you silly people who might try this at home. 

As you can see, only three friends are allowed in at a time.  (Ignore the sleeping child in front of the igloo.)  And you guys thought I couldn't add pictures and make my blog interesting.  PSHHHH!                                           

Simple Sunday--Revisited

I really need to rethink the whole Simple Sunday idea.  The plan is to try to get everything I need done on Saturday (or preferrably earlier) so I can just relax and putter around my little house on Sunday.  Maybe take a nap if I want to.  Unfortunately, I don't hold myself to this most weeks, and I end up running all over the place, trying to grocery shop, and get a haircut (which looks pretty good, if I do say so myself), and other crap that could have been done earlier.  I did get to spend an hour dreaming and planning and drawing a diagram of my future raised-bed garden.  I will probably go to Lowe's this week and get the wood and other stuff I need for them.  I'm looking forward to this year's garden.  I've had on and off success with gardening, but I do love to have plants and tomatoes off the vine are my VERY FAVORITE!  Can't wait to get going this year. 

My cousin Kerri made nanny bread for her husband's work buddies--he's in the coast guard.  Nanny bread is something my great-grandmother made, it's essentially oatmeal bread, and there is a huge controversy about whether you should put it in a cold oven to bake, or let it rise twice.  Very polarizing.  Most of us are of the cold oven camp, but the second-risers are very vocal.  I haven't made it in a long time, and the truth is, I'm not very good at it--my sister is really the better cook in our family, but I like to feel a connection with women from the past.  I'm not sure that's exactly what I mean, but it's the best way I can put it.  I think that's why I love quilting so much.  Anyway, I think I will make some nanny bread this week.  It's awesome toasted. 

I've been sitting here at my new computer, watching funny Youtube videos, and I'm wondering WHY the hell I do that.  What a colossal  (sp?) waste of time.  I guess maybe it's mindless and my mind sometimes needs to rest from all the deep thoughts I am always fighting off. 

New computer, shopping, and stress.

I will have you know I am blogging tonight on my brand new computer.  I spent a horribly anxious day spending a ridiculous amount of money.  New computer (very necessary, due to the electronic state of affairs in my house) and a bunch of new clothes for work.  I'm trying to dress more professionally.  I HATE TO SPEND MONEY.  But I am going to look awesome at work. 

I also had lunch with a friend (had a great time, if you are reading this!), and had a mani-pedi with my daughter.  It was so pleasant.  I really need to remember how much I love them and have one once in awhile. 

I would like to explain that I don't consider myself cheap, although I do hate to spend money--I am willing to spend more money to get something of quality, but I see no sense in spending full retail on anything.  And bless Kaleigh's heart, she doesn't in any way think about money in any way.  She chooses things, asks for them, and if I ask the price she looks at it.  I can't understand it.  I can't even describe the amount of anxiety I've had today shopping without making you sick. 

Anyway, the shopping spree is over, and I'm feeling pretty fancy using my new huge computer. 

Last night, we went to dinner to a Spirit Night for my school, and we had a lot of fun with my families--it's always nice to spend time together, and get to know the parents a little better.  We ate at a mexican restaurant, and it was really good. 

I apologize for this entry being so all over the place, but I'm tired, and can only think about my clean, fresh flannel sheets on my bed.  Nightie-night. 

Stalkers, Gardening, Teaching, etc. . .

So, here's a question.  How can someone stalk me constantly online, comment on my every move, send me near constant emails, call me on the phone often (especially when things are going well and we have no contact), and still say that they have no interest in me and dislike me?   I have to say, I must be fascinating!  Suffice it to say, steps have been taken, and in the words of Alcide on True Blood, people have been abjured, and life is definitely taking a simpler turn today.  Sigh.

I ordered a bunch of gardening catalogs online today, I've sure been enjoying perusing the ones I have and just want some more eye candy to dream about before the actual work of planting arrives.  My plan this year is to try square foot gardening--looking forward to the challenge.

Today was the kind of day that makes me super-duper happy to be a preschool teacher.  Today is Chinese New Year, the year of the dragon, and my class has been busy preparing all last week.  We made our own dragon chain and hung it from the ceiling along with a bunch of painted Chinese lanterns, and other child-made decorations.  Two Chinese parents from my class came in and spoke about how Chinese children celebrate this special holiday.  We listened to music, watched a dragon dance, learned about decorations and the animals that make up the zodiac on the Chinese calendar.  We even danced with streamers outside.  It was so much fun, and one parent even gave me some homemade dumplings to take home and cook.  Great day.  I feel like the kids really experienced something that they might never experience and who could ask for more than that?  Not me.  I wonder what tomorrow will bring. 

The Flu Kind of Sucks. . .

Thank goodness, I'm feeling almost like a human today.  I've had the flu since Tuesday, and I have been in bed sleeping almost all of that time.  Today I actually got up and accomplished a few things.  Just a very few, but at least something!

While I've been sick, I've had some weird dreams, probably due to antibiotics, but they have been weird.  Like crazy chickens running around.  Weird.

Today Kaleigh is babysitting so I've been able to do a little laundry and clean and sort out my sewing area in peace.  K. and I are soon to make some changes around here as far as responsibilities go.  She doesn't know this yet, I'm still working out some details, but I'm tired of doing most of the work around here while she and her boyfriend sit on the couch, watching Psych, or whatever the heck they watch.  As teenagers go, K. is very low-maintenance, but it's time for some growing up.  She's not going to love it.  I have to do my job as a parent, which is to teach her to be independent, and I don't think I've done that recently. 

My sewing area looks awesome.  I can't wait until I can get in there and start sewing something.  Maybe tonight, if I don't run out of steam.

Tonight for dinner I'm going to roast some chicken, and make rice and peas.  A real dinner.  Since I've been sick, I haven't cooked a thing, and I'm looking forward to real food.  I love soup and all, but I'm over it.  Maybe I'll go crazy and make gravy.  Yummy.

Still Monday. . .

Well, it's later the same day, Monday, Martin Luther King Day, and Kaleigh and I went to see the Vietnam Memorial earlier.  It was really heartwrenching.  I cried like a baby, all those names, all those people.  I'm sure I'm sensitive, having been an army wife for 18 years, and I have a son in the navy, so it's pretty personal to me, but I can't imagine anyone not being touched by this. 

After that, we walked back around the lake halfway to where we were parked, and had a little picnic in a really pretty spot.  Kaleigh is a lot of fun to be with, and we laughed a lot--I think she had a good birthday. 

Simple Sunday...actually, it's Monday.

I have renamed Sunday to be Simple Sunday.  I forgot that this was a long weekend, so it's actually Monday, but I did have a simple Sunday yesterday.  I plan on having a simple Monday too.  Then it's back to work. . . and kids . . . and worms. 

I got up early today so I thought I would write a little before the day really begins.  Today is my baby girl's birthday.  I can't believe that she's been in the world for seventeen years.  That seems just crazy.  So seventeen years ago, I was in the military hospital that she was born in, and a midwife had delivered my 10 1/2 pound baby girl.  I highly recommend a midwife, by the way.  She's been high maintenance ever since, but I love the heck out of her.  Today she has an appointment, then we are going to Lake Eola and walk around the lake.  The replica of the Vietnam Memorial is going to be there, which is not birthday celebration material, but we've never seen it and want to.  We already had her celebration anyway, over the weekend.  She's pretty easy to please.

I've been doing a lot of reading--as per my New Year's Wish List (not sure if I put that on the list I posted here, but it's on the list in my journal).  I'm on my fourth book of the year, and it's only January 16.  Pretty pleased about that.  The book I'm reading now is basically a list of projects to do around the house.  Pretty interesting.  Everything from making homemade mead (fermented alcoholic honey), to canning, to gardening, and anything else you can think of.  Even how to make your own composting toilet, which I will never do, but I know how in case anyone else needs one now.  Not sure why I find this stuff so interesting, but I sure am enjoying this book.  It's called "Making It--Radical Home Ec for a Post-Consumer World" by Kelly Coyne and Erik Knutzen.  They are homesteaders in Los Angeles.  I find that an interesting concept.

Yesterday I worked on organizing my sewing area a little bit.  I think I have a LOT of extraneous stuff that could go live somewhere else, so I'm sorting and trying to edit.  NOT easy.  But I know that if I want to spend time sewing, I need to have a pleasant place to go to do it.  And my sewing area is not very pleasant right now.  It's too crowded.  So I will continue working on that this afternoon when we get home. 

The house is cleaned up, and I think I'm going to go make myself a cup of coffee.  I hope my "fans" (all two of you) have a great day. 

Worm Composting. . .

Who would have ever thought that I would be so excited to get a worm composter?!  My coworker said you'd think somebody gave me a diamond ring or something, which I find hilarious because it's true.  The worms are ordered and will be delivered to school on Wednesday or Thursday, so that will be equally exciting, I'm sure.  

I am thinking about what kind of quilt I am going to make for my new granddaughter, who will be born sometime around Leap Year.  Her name is going to be Bridget.  I just adore having grandchildren, I already have three, two boys--Elijah and Ethan, and now two girls--Bianca and Bridget.  It's a shame you can't have grandchildren first. . .  I finally know what my mom was talking about.  Of course I love my kids beyond the ridick, but there is something just so super-spesh (special) about grandchildren.  Of course, I'm thinking pink, or more to the point--PINK!  I have been making quilts since my daughter Hillarie was born, and she's 21 now.  I've been thinking about this for about a week, visualizing all the possibilities.  I haven't quilted in a long time, and I'm looking forward to it.  I'm debating if I want to hand quilt or machine quilt it, but I'm leaning toward machine.  Those darn babies can be hard on quilts, spitting up on them, chewing on them with their pearly pink gums, dragging them around, etc. 

Pleasant dreams. 

My daughter and I have had a really wonderful weekend.  My weekends aren't usually relaxing at all, I spend them shopping, running errands, doing laundry, cleaning, and lesson planning.  In other words----NOT SIMPLE.   To be honest, I am usually glad to get back to my regular routine on Mondays, which is sad, isn't it?

So this weekend, I made it a point not to make any plans.  I got home on Friday, and did some laundry, but since my no-dryer edict, I wash it, hang it up in the spare bedroom on the wooden rack, and I'm kind of finished until the next day.  So I just puttered around, read a little, and went to bed early.  We went to the bookstore on Saturday and had lunch at Panera, which we love.  After we got home, my daughter's boyfriend came over and we had dinner together, and then they worked on a jigsaw puzzle for the rest of the evening, while I watched a terrible movie (Blue Valentine--yuck!). 

Today when I got up, I went and did my usual Sunday thing, which is go to 7-11 for blueberry cream coffee and a newspaper or two, depending on the coupons.  When I get home, I look through the ads to see if there's anything I need on sale anywhere, and match any coupons to sales in the grocery stores.  I love free (and nearly free) stuff.  I made my list, and went out to get a few things that we needed, and then I took my daughter to her volunteer job working with a pet adoption group.  While she did that, I went to the bookstore and did some reading and generally thinking my thoughts. 

Right now I am reading a book called Cabin, written by a man who built his own cabin in Maine, along with his brother and a few friends, during a time of upheaval in his life.  I am really absorbed into this book, it has always appealed to me to make things, build things, etc.  I've always been crazy about the idea of a cabin or a getaway of some kind--ANY kind.   My dream is to someday buy an Airstream trailer and travel around camping and visiting my grandkids.  Maybe not all the time, but at least on vacations.  For the record, I do not enjoy camping and sleeping on the ground, but in a camper or hotel room, I'm fine. 

Tonight, Kaleigh and I played a little Cribbage--she's just learning, so we only played one game, and then we decided to have a reading night.  I really feel like this weekend I actually had time off and wasn't rushing to get things done the whole time.  It's nice.  I need to make this happen more often.

Back to School . . .

My conclusion is that going back to work after two weeks off, especially in a job like mine where I teach preschool, is NOT simple. 

#1.  After an 80 degree Christmas in Orlando, it plummeted to around 40 degrees on Monday, and has been cold all week.  To us Orlandoans, that might as well be 40 below. 

#2.  Two, count them TWO, pulled muscles.  Actually one is a tendon in my foot, but it hurts, and I have to say, it really comments on how much physical work I did on my vacation.  I kept busy, but not as busy as, say, a class full of three year olds.

#3.  I'm not 20 anymore so I'm tired.  My sister says I live like a senior citizen, eating dinner at 4:00, and in bed by 8:30, which I say is an exaggeration, and did I mention that I AM TIRED?!

On the plus side, I am so looking forward to visiting the worm composting bin in the Student Union today.  Is that crazy?

Last Day of Vacation. . . .

I just want to make it known right now that although I have posted every day so far, this probably won't be the norm, as I've been on break from work for the last two weeks, and I go back to my busy classroom full of preschoolers tomorrow.  Meaning I will be more tired and have less time.  I will definitely try to post as often as I have something to say, though.  I am looking forward to getting back to my regular routine.  I'm such a routine girl. 

I dreamed last night about a small garden in my yard.  I'm sure it was brought on by the smell of tomato sauce all day yesterday--daughter and I are having pasta with said sauce tonight for dinner.  I have plenty to freeze too.  I used to plant a gorgeous garden in my backyard when I lived in Texas, but I had the ex-hubs to do all the hard work, all I really had to do was water, and pick.  I really miss that.  Anyway, since I've been in Florida, I've planted a few tomatoes and flowers, but never really could work up the enthusiasm for much else.  I've decided that this year I'm going to make a couple of smallish raised beds (maybe 4x6 each), and plant some herbs in pots.  At my school, we also have several gardens, an organic vegetable garden, a couple of butterfly gardens, and a sensory garden, so I have access to those as well.

My plan for this morning was to pack up my Christmas stuff, which is unusual for me, since I have been known to take it down on Christmas night (and for those of you who might accuse me of being a Scrooge, I put my tree up on Thanksgiving every year), but my daughter fell asleep on the couch and she looks so cute sleeping there that I don't really want to disturb her.  

I am meeting a friend for coffee today that I haven't seen in a long time.  Lori and I met on our first day of college (this was only 6 years ago) in our first class, and we've stuck together ever since.  She restores my faith in love at first sight, and after an unpleasant divorce--are any of them pleasant?--she has remarried and is expecting twins!  I'm so excited for her, and I can't wait to hold both of those babies at once.  I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE babies, and two at a time are even better.  Of course, I've never actually had two at a time, but it's a theory I have. 

I'm off to read gardening books and plan how to get the materials for my raised beds, preferably for free!  Have a super-duper day!  (I do teach preschool, you know.)

Happy New Year!

I stopped at the little vegetable store this morning, and tomatoes were cheap so I bought a LOT and I am now making tomato sauce in my crock pot, as per my new favorite book, The Feast Nearby by Robin Mather.  It's a year long biography with musings (and recipes) during a time of huge change for her.  It's a great book and I highly recommend it.   Anyone who knows me knows how I feel about tomatoes (they are probably the love of my life), so I am in heaven. 

This being New Year's Day and all, I can't help but think about what I want for the next year, as I've mentioned--peace and calm in my life.  Along those lines I am choosing not to react to my ex-husband's wife who took my daughter to get her nose pierced while she was there on vacation.   I have nothing against nose-piercing, and I would have said yes if she had asked me, but the fact is, she didn't.  I personally think step-mom overstepped in a huge way, and this is not the first time.  However, if I react, it always ends up to be a ridiculous scene, which is not productive, and she's never going to change.  I suspect she does these things to get a reaction from me.  So I'm not playing.  This is an ongoing struggle for me, because I feel like being true to myself would be standing up for what I believe, especially as it pertains to my own children, but at the same time. . . is it worth it when I would have said yes anyway? 

I'm feeling very self-righteous about my laundry today.  I washed a quilt that I made for my daughter a long time ago (yes, it's pink and white), and some towels and they are hanging on my drying racks on my little back porch.  I can't wait to wash my sheets and hang them out there--THERE IS NOTHING LIKE THE SMELL OF SHEETS DRIED OUTSIDE.  I cannot stress that enough.  Besides tomatoes, one of the other great loves of my life is my bed.  I love soft sheets, the perfect quilt that snuggles you but isn't too heavy, the right fluffy pillows, the perfect lamp next to the bed, a lovely pile of books on the nightstand, a clean fresh nightgown, and I'm a happy girl.  I got my love of my bed from my mom, who is the same way.  The rule at my house (and my mom's) is that you cannot even sit on my bed without an invitation, except for grandchildren.  They are always allowed, until they turn 16.  Are there any other boudoir-philes out there or are we crazy?   

I worked really hard to add the word "boudoir-phile"!